Celebrating Technicians at the CMVM Staff Recognition Awards

Last month, the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM) celebrated the remarkable achievements of its staff at the annual Staff Recognition Awards. With 260 nominations submitted from across the College, the event highlighted the outstanding contributions of individuals and teams over the past year.

We’re especially proud to recognise the work of our technical staff, whose skill and commitment are essential to the success of our research, teaching, and operations. Congratulations to all technicians who were nominated—your efforts are deeply appreciated.

Among those recognised were several technical staff who stood out in a range of award categories. In the Community Engagement Award category, the Edinburgh BioImaging team was shortlisted for their contributions in promoting engagement with the wider community.

The Innovation Award celebrated forward-thinking ideas and impactful changes. Olga Paterson, Learning Technologist, was shortlisted for her contributions, while Lyndsey Jarvis from the Clinical Skills Team was named runner-up. The award was ultimately won by Neil Johnston, who was recognised for his leadership in sustainability across the Centre for Cardiovascular Science and the wider College. In 2023, Neil led a successful bid for a prestigious Silver Audit award and has consistently championed improved sustainability practices. His innovative contributions have delivered both financial and educational benefits to his centre and to CMVM more broadly.

In the Outstanding Colleague category, Carolynn Cairns was nominated, while both Janet Man and Olga Paterson were named winners for their exceptional contributions to their teams and colleagues.

Mark Patrizio received the Award for Exceptional Service. A Laboratory Manager in the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Mark began his career at the University of Edinburgh in 1978 as a Grade 1 Trainee Technician. After returning from a period at the University of Glasgow, he went on to play a key role in the Department of Anatomy and beyond. Mark’s impact has extended well beyond his technical duties—he has been a tireless advocate for technicians and staff through his roles as Chair of the University’s Unite branch, a member of University Court, Convenor of the Joint Unions Liaison Committee, Health & Safety representative, and member of the Scottish Education Regional Industrial Sector Committee. His decades-long commitment to improving policy and operations across the University has benefitted staff and students alike.

It was also fantastic to see Edinburgh technicians playing a key role in the awards ceremony itself. Janette Dinse Harrower, winner of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award in 2024, presented that very award this year. Charli Corcoran, representing the Technician Steering Committee, presented the Innovation Award, which the team won in 2024.

These awards are a great reminder of the talent and dedication across our technical community. We thank all those who were nominated, shortlisted, and awarded for their invaluable work—and look forward to seeing what they achieve next.

Technicians recognised at the CMVM Staff Recognition Awards / University of Edinburgh Technicians by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0

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